Overview

In the TSP, the processes of carrying out the research and drawing up the solution plan are closely interlinked. The two steps together have a cyclic character in the TSP schedule. During the in-depth research, information becomes available that contains the outlines of solutions. A good consultant will regularly communicate these developments to the relevant people and organizations, to ensure that the final recommendation will both have the desired result and be achievable.

We regard the research activities and the search for a solution as a cyclic process. By cyclic , we mean that the quality of possible solutions can be tested in a number of cycles until a suitable solution is found. In carrying out the research, ideas for possible solutions emerge. These solutions prompt new, supplementary questions that need answers. Some solutions will be dropped, others will be refined and modified. ^[1]

The research phase is nearing its end when several reasonable solutions have been identified. The advantages and disadvantages of these solutions must be sufficiently understood to allow for sound decision-making. This is the function of Step 8: organizing the decision-making process so that the best of the proposed solutions can be chosen based on the research results. The activities of the consultant or fieldwork student include:

• Preparing a clear presentation explaining the possible solutions that have been identified and the information on which they are based. Criteria for choosing a solution must be proposed, along with the solutions that are preferred by the student based on...